The present invention relates to golf clubs, and in particular to a wood-type golf club head having an aerodynamic upper surface.
More traditional golf club heads are being replaced by new shapes and materials in an effort to obtain maximum velocity of a golf ball being struck, and the distance that the ball flies in keeping within the accepted rules of golf. The use of aerodynamic shapes to enhance the above-mentioned qualities of the golf club head are well known in the prior art as shown in the design patents to Smith (U.S. Pat. No. Des. 239,187), Bizovi (U.S. Pat. No. Des. 240,058), Bock (U.S. Pat. No. Des. 240,748), and utility patents to Milligan (U.S. Pat. No. 2,550,866), Stuff (U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,192) and Antonious (U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,544).
The present invention is directed to a golf club head having an aerodynamic shaped upper surface in the form of a vertical airfoil extending upwardly at the rear of the club head and a deep well or cavity in the upper surface which slopes rearwardly from a point on the club head just behind the ball striking face toward the rear surface of the club head. The airfoil reacts with the air flow across the club head to reduce drag and increase the speed of the club head as it is swung.
In a first preferred embodiment, the cavity includes side walls formed by the toe and heel portion of the club head as the upper surface of the bottom of the well tapers downwardly toward the rear edge. In a second preferred embodiment, the well extends the entire width of the club head in the heel to toe direction so that no side walls are used. The inner rear wall of the cavity, which forms the front portion of the airfoil, extends in a vertical direction approximately parallel to the ball striking face. The depth of the cavity extends downwardly approximately two-thirds of the distance between the top and bottom surfaces of the club head at its deepest point adjacent the rear wall. The vertically extending airfoil portion of the club head as formed by the inside and outside rear wall surfaces is preferrably approximately one-half inch in width for a club head which is approximately two and one-half to three inches in length from the front ball striking face to the rear surface thereof. Therefore, the width of the vertical airfoil member is approximately twenty percent of the total distance from the front to rear of the club head.
Among the objects of the present invention are the provision of an improved aerodynamically shaped golf club head which reduces drag and increases club head speed, and the provision of a golf club head having a unique aerodynamic vertical airfoil to increase the efficiency and force used to strike a golf ball.
Other objects will become apparent in view of the drawings and specification.